Loading docks are commonly used to facilitate loading and unloading of trucks that are positioned on a driveway. Loading docks typically include a dock surface that is raised a certain distance above the driveway. The dock surface is designed to be approximately level with the truck bed so that vehicles (e.g., forklifts) can drive from the loading dock to the truck bed to load and unload cargo.
The height of truck beds (i.e., above the driveway) can vary considerably from truck to truck. In order to accommodate these differences, many loading docks include dock levelers that provide a ramped surface between the dock surface and the truck bed. The ramped surface is provided by a pivotable platform, as is generally known in the art.
Dock levelers are designed to handle a certain range of truck bed heights. However, certain trucks have a truck bed that is either too low or too high for some dock levelers to handle. In this situation, a truck leveling device can be used to raise or lower the back end of the truck to thereby adjust the height of the truck bed. Truck leveling devices commonly include a platform that is positioned over a pit in the driveway. The front edge of the platform is pivotally mounted to the driveway, and hydraulic cylinders are used to pivot the platform. When a truck is backed into the loading dock, the rear wheel of the truck or trailer will be positioned on the platform. The platform can be lowered or raised to position the truck bed at an appropriate height. Truck levelers are commonly used in conjunction with dock levelers. A truck leveler is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 4,969,792.
While truck levelers are an effective way to allow loading docks to handle a variety of truck bed heights, they tend to be quite expensive due to the size of the platform. Furthermore, since the platform can be required to support a loaded truck, the hydraulic cylinders required lift the truck can be large and expensive. In addition, such truck levelers require significant labor to install due to the provision of a pit in the driveway.